How many laser treatments do I need to see results?

This, of course, depends on the condition being treated and the type of laser being used. In some cases, you can see results with just one or two treatments. With certain conditions, you may need several treatments spread out over a few months.

A word of caution: With laser treatments, the consumer may want to avoid purchasing “treatment packages” – that is, it is not necessary to purchase 5 or 6 laser treatments up-front, as you may only need 2 or 3 treatments. It is best to purchase one treatment at a time, then check the results and decide whether you need more treatment. In short, if the doctor is confident in his/her laser treatment, s/he won’t need to insist that you buy 5 treatments in advance; so, skip the package deals. Then, if you have one laser procedure and notice only minimal change, you may want to continue shopping around, rather than be stuck with a package of five.

Of interest: One of the most common practitioner mistakes is to over-treat an area (resulting in skin damage) or under-treat an area (resulting in no change at all). In addition, for best results, and to reduce danger, all laser procedures should be completed by a doctor, rather than an assistant.

The answer to this question depends on what condition you are treating and what lasers are used. For laser resurfacing, the amount of treatments can range anywhere from 1 with CO2 resurfacing to 8 or 10 with non-ablative lasers. Erbium and fractional resurfacing is somewhere in the middle at about 3-4 treatments.